Peasants and students in the far flung tehsil Marwah of District Kishtwar are fighting together against a proposed gargantuan ‘Budsar-Pakal’ dam across the upper reaches of Chenab River. This is one of the most seismically active regions. The movement has gathered momentum against the proposed project because it threatens environment, demography and has adverse socio-economic impact.
Marwah Valley is inaccessible for nearly six to seven months of winter and the terrain makes this area more vulnerable to landslides and hence no concrete road has been built to connect the Valley and even to its own district headquarter.
A handful of villages located on the foothills of the mountain, near Chenab have been living in harmony for decades now sharing natures bounties be it wild flora and fauna, fresh waters, conducive climate and little fields to work on. The valley has a population of 50,000 and people here will never be ready to leave their land. The wrong report about the location and feasibility has been carried forward to the authorities and they think that locals have agreed to it, but we never have.
The locals are resisting against dam building. The people of the area don’t want development at the cost of their relocation or destruction of their land. The reservoir that has been proposed, if completed will flood all fertile agricultural lands, destroying the flora and fauna of entire Marwah belt and displace thousands of people. The local people will lose their identity as well as the link to their culture.
The Govt is still not interested in addressing basic issues related to Budsar-Pakal Dam and displacement it will cause. The callous attitude of the Govt can be gauged by the fact that most of the population of Marwah are rural poor like landless labourers and small and marginal farmers. Most residents of the Marwah are from Below Poverty Line. Maximum villages are on the banks of Chenab river and will be directly affected by the project. The planned dam will submerge the fields on which we are surviving. Our Right to free, prior and informed consent is not only being ignored ,but deliberately avoided.
“Khudawanda Ye Tere Sada Dil Bande Kidhar Jaen,
Ke Darveishi Bhi Ayyari Hai, Sultani Bhi Ayyari”
–Aalama Iqbal
People of Marwah are disheartened by the U-turn of political parties and their changing stances. Earlier in February 1981 we were all virtually declared as wild animals when our area was declared a National Park. Now the present Govt is working hard in making us refugees and the lame assurances by the Govt in past and present have never become a reality and it may lead to tragic consequences.
We got our land neither from British nor Indians. We inherited it from the our forefathers.
We will protect it and fight for it.